Machine for uncoiling and straightening metal strips.



M. M. BEEMAN & J. F. KITCHEN; MACHINE FOR UNCOILING AND STRAIGHTBNING METAL STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912.

2 SHEETB8HBBT 1.

o HIP INVENTOR6 M. M. BEBMAN & J. F. KITCHEN. MACHINE FOR UNUOILING AND STRAIGHTENING METAL STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVEN'I 'OR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARCUS M. BEEMAN AND JOHN F. KITCHEN, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE SPIRELLA COMPANY, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR UNCOILING AND S'IRAIGHTENING METAL STRIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 2, 1912. Serial No. 669,092.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that we, MARCUS M. BEEMAN and JOHN F. KITCHEN, residents f Meadville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for 'Untcoiling and Straightening Metal Strips, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine or device for straightening metal strips.

It is designed particularly for straightening flat bent wire strips which are after ward to be cut into suitable lengths for forming garment stays, and particularly for taking out of said strips the flatwise curls or bends thereof. Thedevice is adapted, however, for straightening metal strips of any character.

The object of the invention is to rovide a simple and easily adjusted machine for e'il'ectively straightening such strips and one having a largecapacity.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the machine, partly in section and with the outside guide plate of the straightening device and its supporting means omitted; Fig. 2 is in part a plan view and in part a horizontal section on the line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device; Fig. 4c is a sectional elevation through the traction device; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a cover plate.

The device comprises two cooperating parts, to-wit,-a straightening device and a traction or pulling device. These are mounted upon a suitable base plate 1 at such distance apart as is necessary or desirable for producing the best effect.

The straightening device comprises a base member or standard 2 upon which all of the operative straightening parts are mounted. The straightening device is comprised of two pairs of rollers marked 3, 4; and 5, 6, respectively, suitably spaced apart and adapted to have the strip A to be straightened, pass therebetween. Each of these rollers is secured on the end of-a suitable shaft or spindle, those of one pair of rollers being Patented Dec.31,1912.

the rollers is driven, although if desired, I

both pairs may be driven. As shown, the rollers 3, 4, are driven by having secured to the ends of their shafts or axes opposite that -carrying the rollers, inter-meshing gears 11, 12 and one of said shafts also carrying a sheave or other wheel 13 for receiving a belt 14, chain or other suitable driving member. The ends of the spindles or shafts of the idle pair of rollers areprovided with collars 15 to hold said spindles in place.

In the arrangement shown, the strip to be straightened first passes between the idle rollers 5, 6 and thence through the driven rollers 3 and 4, the latter serving to pull the strip through the straightening deviceI Intermediate the pairs of rollers is a deflecting device arranged to deflect the strip from a straight line between said rollers. This deflecting device comprises a stud 17, preferably carrying a roller 18, although a solid pin can be used, if desired, and in turn carried by a vertical plunger 19 movable in a suitable vertical bore in the standard 2, and which can be moved vertically to any position inorder to deflect the strap to the necessary extent to remove therefrom the bonds or coils therein. Various means for moving the plunger may be used, but masmuch as the amount of deflection to which the strip is subjected, varies frequently on account of the different amount of bends in the strip or the'difi'erence in temper of the wire composing the strip, I prefer to use a friction arrangement for adjusting said plunger. As shown, the upper forked end 19 of the plunger is loosely engaged by a lever 20 fulcrumed at 21 to a bracket 22 projecting from a cover plate 24 secured to the standard 2 by tap screw 23. The pivot 21 comprises a bolt having a head 25 on one end and a large nut 26 on its opposite end so that when said nut is tightencdup, the lever 20 is clamped between the head 25 and the'bracket 22, in order to create the necessary friction to hold the plunger 19 from rising from its adjusted position. If desired, friction members or Washers Gl may be interposed between the lever 20 and the securing members 25 and 22. In order to adjust the plunger 19 n either direction, it

is merely necessary to apply force to the handle of the lever 20, such as by giving fiend, the-bearing 10 at the outer end of the spindle 7 of the upper driven roller 3 is vertically movable in a guideway 28 in the standard 2, and said bearing is adjusted .by means of a spring 29 and screw 30 extending through a threaded opening in the cover plate 24. Other adjusting means will readily suggest themselves.

Before entering the idle rollers 5, 6the strip to be straightened passes through a suitable guide 32, this guide being formed covers the free faces of the rollers 3, 4 and 5,

inpart in abar 33 secured to the rear face of the standard 2 by means of the tap screws 34, andin part in the wear plate 36 which 6 and prevents the'escape of the strip to be straightened from, between said rollers. This. wear plate is suitably secured to a suitable plate'or door 38 pivotally mounted at 39 to. a bracket 40,- projecting from the standard 2, and is adapted to be held in posi tion to cover the rolls and guide the strip by means of a latch 41 of any suitable character engaging an opening 42 in a projecting portion of the cover plate 24. This arrangement enables the wear plate and the door 38 to be readilyv disengaged and swung downwardly out ofpositionfor convenience v in inserting the strip to be straightened and for the purpose of inspectingthe rollers and deflecting device.

The pulling or traction device comprises a pair of rollers44 and 45 carried by suitable shafts or spindles 46 mounted in suitable bearings in a standard 47 secured to the base plate 1. These rollers are positively driven and to this end the intermeshing gears 48 are secured to the opposite ends of their shafts or spindles. One ofthese shafts or spindles also carries a suitable sheave or other wheel 50 forreceiving-a belt 51, chain or other connector which passes over a correspondingj-sheave' or other wheel secured to or forming a part of the driving sheave or wheel 13. This arrangement drives the traction rollers 44 and 45 in unison with the straightening rollers The parts are, however, driven at such speed that the traction rollers e iert a constant'pull upon thest-rip being. straightened, i

- The traction rollers are-adjustable toward and fromeach other in order to secure a strong grip upon the strip being straightened. Tothis end, thebearing 54 of the spindle o-rshaft ofthe upper traction roller 44 is vertically movable in a suitable guide in the standard-47 and is adjustable therein by means of spring 55 and screw 56, the latter passing through a threaded opening in cap plate 57 secured to the standard 47 by means of tap screws 58.

In advance of the traction rollers 44, 45 is a suitable guide'comp'rising an aperture 60 through a stud 61 having a reduced and shouldered end passing through an opening in bracket 62 on the standard 47 and secured thereto by means of nut 63.

In the use of the device, the strip to be straightened is entered by passing it through guide 32, thence between idle rollers 5, 6,

underneath the deflecting stud or roller 18, thence between the driven rollers3, 4, thence through guides 60 and'finally through traction rollers 44, 45.

Power being applied,

the strip is rapidlydrawn through the machine and the operator by tapping the handle 2O adjusts the deflecting stud or roller 1. .In a machine for straightening flexible metal strips, the combination of two pairs of spaced rollers between which the strip passes, a member arranged to contact the strip between said pairs ofrollers and ar-'- ranged to deflect the same from a straight line, means for adjusting said deflecting member normally to the axis of the rollers and to the-strip, mechanism for driving one pair of said rollers, and means for adjusting the driven pair of rollers toward and from each other.

2. In a machine for straightening flexible metal strips, the combination of two pairs of spaced rollers between which the strip passes, a member arranged to contact the strip between said pairs of rollers and arranged to deflect the same from a straight line, means for adjusting said deflecting member normally to the plane of the rollers and the strip, mechanism for driving one pair of said rollers.

3. In a machine for straightening flexible metal strips, the combination of two pairs of spaced rollers between which thestrip passes, a member arranged to contact the strip between said. pairs of rollers and to" deflect the same from a straight line, means for adjusting said deflecting member normally to the plane of the rollers and of the strip, mechanism for driving one air of said rollers, and a guide'through which said strip passes before entering said rollers.

4. In a machine for straightening flexible metal strips, the combination of two pairs of spaced rollers between which the said strip passes, a member arranged to contact the strip between said pairs of rollers to deflect the same from a straight line, means for adjusting said deflecting member normally to the plane of the rollers and the strip, and friction means for holding said last named means.

5. In a machine for straightening flexible metal strips, the combination of two pairs of spaced rollers between which the said metal strips, the combination of two pairs,

of spaced rollersbet we'en which said strip passes, a member arranged to contact the strip between said pairs of rollers and to deflect the same froma straight line, a

plunger carrying said deflecting member, a lever for actuating sald plunger and friction means for holding said lever in adjusted position.

7. In a machine for straightening flexible metal strips, the combination of two pairs of spaced rollers between which said strip passes, a member arranged to contact the strip between said pairs of rollers and to deflect the same from a straight" line, a

- plunger carrying said deflecting member, a

lever for adjusting said plunger, friction means for holding said lever in adjusted position, and a sprlng arranged to move said plunger in opposition to the. movement thereof by said lever.

. 8. In a machine for straightening flexible metal strips, the combination of two pairs of spaced rollers between which .said strip passes, a member arranged to contact the strip between said pairsof rollers and deflect the same from a straight line, means for adjusting said deflecting member n0rmally to the plane of the rollers and of the strip, and aplate arranged to cover the outer ends of said rollers to prevent the. escape of the strip therefrom.

9. In a machine for straightening flexible metal strips, the combination of a suitable standard, two pairs of rollers provided with shafts mounted in said standard, an adjustable deflecting device mounted on said standard between said pairs of rollers, a plate movably mounted. on said standard and covering the outer ends of said rollers, a guide bar secured to said standard, and provided with an open ended guide opening therein, said movable plate closing the outer end of said guide opening.

10. In a machine for straightening flexible metal strips, the combination of two pairs of spaced rollers between which said strip passes, an adjustable deflecting memher arranged bet-ween said pairs of rollers to contact the strip and deflect the same, a pair of driven rollers arranged to pull the strip through said straightening rollers, and connections between said spaced rollers and said driven rollers for driving them in unison.

11. In a machine for straightening flexible metal strips, the combination of two pairs of spaced rollers, means for driving one pair thereof, a deflecting member adjustably mountedbetween sald spaced rollers, a pair of rollers operatively connected to said means and driven thereby and arranged to pull the strip through said spaced rollers, a guide through which the strip passes before entering the spaced rollers and v a guide through which the strip passes before entering the pulling rollers.

12. In a machine for straightening flext,

ble metal strips, the combination of two pairs of spaced rollers, an adjustable de- 7 fleeting device between said pairs of rollers, a pair of traction or pulling rollers, and means for driving said traction or pulling rollers and one pair of said spaced rollers 1n llIllSOIl;

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

- MARCUS M. BEEMAN.

JOHN F. KITCHEN.

Witnesses C. E. LEFFEL, I. B. SAUNDERS, 

